Three years after Nova Scotia’s Mass Casualty Commission issued its final report and more than 100 recommendations, the committee tasked with keeping an eye on the progress says significant advancements have been made but the work is far from over. “The committee was pleased to see meaningful progress in a number of areas connected to emergency response and public safety; however, there is still much more work to do, notably on those recommendations that are more complex and interconnected or that require long-term societal response,” said Myra Freeman, chair of the Progress Monitoring Committee. Over the past three years, the monitoring committee, which included family members of those who were killed in the mass shooting six years ago and government and police officials directly impacted by the work, analyzed and reported publicly on progress relating to 90 recommendations. It all stems from the killing of 22 Nova Scotians and an unborn child by a gunman who disguised himself as a police officer and went on a two-day shooting rampage in April 2020. Police eventually shot and killed the gunman at a gas station in Enfield. The final progress report looked at four themes, which included community safety and well-being, gender-based violence response, access to firearms and policing reform. “The recommendations are long term in nature and they’re very complex,” said Freeman. “They involve a great deal of work collaborating as a shared responsibility between different departments within government and at the same time with different governments.” Freeman says there were members of the committee who wanted to extend the three-year mandate to keep an eye on how the Canadian government and Nova Scotia, along with RCMP, were tracking in their work to meet the list of recommendations. But Freeman says they committee always knew they had a three-year term and it is now up to government and RCMP to continue with important work and reporting back to the public on progress. “We also knew that it was never an end point, that it was meant to be a first step and a foundation, to a longer commitment for accountability, for transparency and for building, stronger, safer communities,” she said. Despite some wanting to extend the work of the committee, Freeman said no official motions or recommendations were expressed to government seeking to extend the mandate. Premier Tim Houston thanked all those involved in work to track the progress made and actions taken. “Nova Scotia is on track in many areas, and we’ve made significant investments to support this work. But we know the work doesn’t stop here,” said Houston in a news release. “We must persist in our efforts to address the epidemic of intimate partner violence and its causes. We must break down barriers and improve safety and resilience in our communities. We must continue to work together to realize the significant and systemic change that is required to address complex and interconnected issues facing our society.” In a joint statement, Nova Scotia MP and Minister of Justice Sean Fraser and Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree said they remember those whose lives were lost, those we have lost in the years since, and the families, survivors, communities and all who continue to carry the impacts of the events. “We want to thank the members of the Progress Monitoring Committee, past and present, for their dedication, leadership, and advocacy. In particular, we recognize the contributions of affected family members, whose voices and experiences formed a central part of this work. Their commitment has ensured that the memory of those lost remains at the heart of our efforts and continues to guide our path forward.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
